Ether Induced
by The Lonely Windbag
Summary: I saw no one and nothing of interest. I narrowed my eyes and went back to the room. But instead of returning to my bed I walked over to my closet and picked out a cloak


Ether Induced

This story is written by two teenagers and one computer…and since we are Juniors in high school we own as much as the Hobo with the card board laptop box…just slightly more effective.

_Thump_. _Thump_. Listening now. I hear the sound of footsteps outside my door. Odd. That usually doesn't happen often. Usually people skip by my door as they go to the common room. I unlocked the door and steeped out of my room.

"Well," I think to myself, "Whatever had passed by wasn't here anymore…might as well go back to sleep."

The door slammed its usual _shwank_ and I stumbled into my bed. I had to knock down the book that I had been reading but it was a small loss. Just another boring theory of a subject long past entertaining. Sighing I want on my bed and pulled up the covers. When I was on the very edge of sleep, the patter of footsteps again woke me from my reverie. This was annoying. My eyes narrowed as I walk outside to mediate the problem. But like before as I stepped out there was no one. Narrowing my eyes I looked around. When I didn't see anyone I walked back into my room. Very much awake I angrily picked up the book and started to find flaws in the authors' arguments. I was up to fourteen when once again footsteps brought my attention to the door.

"That's it," I thought angrily to myself. I got up and once again I went to the door. I saw no one and nothing of interest. I narrowed my eyes and went back to the room. But instead of returning to my bed I walked over to my closet and picked out a cloak. Putting it on huffily I stepped outside of my room. I stormed the hallway looking for the perpetrator of my insomnia. I went to the living room and found no one except Beast boy fallen asleep in front of the sofa with a bowl of sugared cereal in front of him. Idiot. Let him wake up himself, that will teach him not to sleep in such a precarious position. But that eliminated one suspect. Who could it be? This was very irritating. I turned on my heel and again walked down the hallways. I walked back in the direction of my room and decided I would wait a little beyond it to catch the perpetrator in the middle of the act. I set my trap at about five feet away from my door. I waited and waited and waited. There! A figure was walking the halls. I walked suddenly forward determined to give my mind of their midnight wanderings.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"Oh…I am sorry. I was unaware that I was disturbing anyone."

My eyes narrowed in annoyance and the a sigh escaped my mouth, "It doesn't matter all that much…but what is the meaning of this?"

Starfire looked confused and was startled when Raven had asked her the question, "Oh I am sorry but what did you ask?"

"What is it Starfire?" I tried to seem concerned.

A jump, "Oh I am sorry but…this matter…" she blushed, "Well…I do not…comprehend a way to…accomplish a task."

"What," I asked neutrally.

She licked her lips nervously and said, "Well…" she rolled it out making the word longer shifting her feet as she did so, "I do not…" she frowned.

I just blinked.

"I am so sorry," she then turned and walked back where she came from.

I sighed again. If she was going to do this all night…someone had to talk with her. I decided quickly to follow her. What I saw was interesting. She was actually leaning against her door. She was asleep. Fast asleep standing up. She had probably done this for hours. I shook my head and lifted her up and taking it upon my self I opened her door and set her lightly on her mattress. Shaking my head again I walked back to my bed and as I laid my head against my bed pillow curiosity started to sink.

"Why was she _pacing_ in the middle of the night?"

When I awoke in the morning, I found myself on the couch. Somehow, I had fallen asleep watching a re-run of some movie that was now unknown to my mind. I tired to stand up, but fell back down, causing the bowl of cereal I had in my lap to fall onto the ground, spilling its' contents, now soggy, all over the floor. A groan escaped my lips, and tired to stand up again, and failed again.

Someone walked into the room, and I saw that it was a preoccupied looking Starfire. She didn't notice me, and walked to the fridge. She grabbed a bottle of water, and when she turned around, she finally noticed me.

"Oh, Beastboy, I did not see you there. How did you sleep?" she asked me.

I just grinned despite the pain in my neck and said, "I slept well enough for a person sleeping on a couch sitting up all night. What about you?"

"It was a – a good night," she responded, faltering.

I raised an eyebrow, and tried and at last succeeded at standing up, much to my surprise. I left the room, leaving Starfire by herself. I then went to my room, grabbed a fresh towel and a new set of my uniform and headed to the shower. Without stopping, I walked in.

Briefly glimpsing a now very pissed off Raven, I tired to get out without giving her the chance to inflict bodily harm, but I could not. Fortunately, I escaped with only a few bar-shaped bruises. I then tried to escape to the safe confines of my room, but found a patiently waiting Raven there. She had her hood up so I couldn't see her expression, but the glowing red eyes gave me a hint to what she was feeling. I scratched the back of my head and laughed nervously then quickly turned into a common house fly, and flew furiously into the next room I saw, which happened to be Cyborgs' The robot was still off-line, and I changed back into my normal self.

Idiot. Idiot! The audacity of him. Not only could he not spare whatever few brain cells he had to listen for a shower going off, he had to walk in on her. Idiot. My eyes narrowed. He was going to get it. Not only was it embarrassing to have herself view in that lewd of matter, but it was Beast boy. Beast boy! Absurd. Beast boy was an idiot. Really and truly. I could hear his idiotic exaggerations of what he saw. I had to calm down. Letting these emotions letting rampant on my conscious was affecting my reasoning. Sighing I decided to walk to the kitchen and make my tea. That would calm this tempest of anger swelling up with in me. I stepped into the kitchen looking around and only saw Starfire. I was perplexed on what her midnight stroll was about, and a part of me wanted to ask, but I knew that the only Starfire was going to grow was letting Starfire solving her own problems. I didn't want to or have to hold her hand in making decisions. I walked over to the cabinet and mumbled out a typical 'good morning, Starfire,' which in her absentmindedness jumped at. My eyes rested on her for a moment trying to discern this recent change in my alien companion.

"Fret not," I thought, "if she wants to talk about it then I can help her. Just trying to help her when she doesn't want it will only result in you making a decision too prematurely."

So with this thought I continued to make my tea. And after a few minutes of preparation I walked to the roof. It was a brisk afternoon and I was surprised that I had slept so late. But small wonder with Starfires nervous pacing for hours. I sat cross-legged on the floor and did my morning meditation.

I left the room without waking my robotic companion and looked up and down the hallway. Seeing that Raven was not in the area, I decided to go take a shower. I listened to make sure that no one was in, and went inside.

Ten minutes later, I walked out of the shower and into my room. I soon found out that there was not much to do besides clean up my room –what everyone else called a mess, I thought of it as ordered chaos- and went back into the living room. I saw that Starfire was cleaning up the mess I had made, and went over to help her. Seeing that she still looked preoccupied, I asked her what was bothering her.

"Nothing is wrong, friend," she responded, and went back to cleaning.

"Ah, come on Star, you can tell me," I said, and shifted into the form of a small kitten and jumped into her arms. She scratched my head, and I purred in pleasure, but she wouldn't say anything. So I escaped her embrace and shifted back into my human form. I then turned on the television and flipped through the hundreds of different channels that we had, and found nothing to my taste.

I began to feel kind of bad for what I did to Raven. Grudgingly, I decided to apologize to her, and I asked my lovable alien friend if she knew where Raven was.

"I believe that she is on the roof," was the reply. I thanked her, and went up to the roof. I saw that she was meditating and I decided that I shouldn't bother her, for I knew that if I pushed her a little more, then she really would kill me.

I headed to my room and rummaged for some paper and a pencil. I began to scribble a note, and daydreamed a little, then returned to the present with a shake of my head. I knew that that particular dream would never come true…stupid moped.

I left my room, and slid the note under Ravens door, and went back to the living room. I saw that Starfire was still there, and sat down next to her. After a while of patient sitting I decided to play a game of cards with Star. That should distract her for a while.

Who was I to say that?

I sighed and looked at the news clippings on the wall for support but the criminals on the wall just seem to leer down on me as if I had done something wrong. But it was starting to gnaw on me. Had I said something wrong?

Really and truly I hadn't really said anything wrong but judging from her reaction…I threw my hands up in the air. I would rather have to fight Slade every day then have to find out about the females mind. Sighing about how trite that sounded in my head I decided to clear it by banging the punching bag in the gym. But I might as well eat something small first.

I held the strange pieces of paper in one hand, and looked at my shape-shifting friend. "So, what is this game called?" I asked.

"Speed," he replied. "You just try to get as many cards down in order as fast as you can. We can do a practice round, if you like. Do you know the order?"

I shook my head and Beast boy explained it to me.

"Ready," he asked finally after all the rules explained and the order.

I nodded, and we started the game. However, I didn't get the hang of it, and began to lose interest. My thoughts drifted to last night….

"Robin," I said, and looked at my companion.

"What is it Star?" he asked, and looked at me straight in the eyes.

"STARFIRE!" Beastboy shouted. I shook my head and returned to the present.

"What is it, friend?" I asked.

"I totally kicked your butt, that's what," he responded, "And bragging is a lot harder when you're not paying attention."

"Sorry; I am not feeling well," I lied, and floated to my room. On the way, I passed Robin.

_So that was the first chapter of "Ether Induced". This is the lonely part singing off._

_Windbag here. If you want to know about Starfire's problem, wait about a week. We Juniors only have so much time on our hands._


End file.
